


Of Sketchpads and Shadows

by Shadows_Interceptor



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Friendship, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-27 00:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5026237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadows_Interceptor/pseuds/Shadows_Interceptor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A family long thought lost is brought back together by a sheer chance of fate...and the ruin of the world. A story about Relm and Shadow and the situations that will define their relationship and will ultimately determine their fate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not in the Job Description

**Author's Note:**

> Final Fantasy VI is a wonderful game in many ways, one of which is that it gives us these great characters but also leaves enough room for us to create our own stories around them. Here is a retelling of Final Fantasy VI from Shadow's, and a little bit of Relm's, point of view. Here are things as they happened and as I wish they had happened. The story is complete and posted in its entirety on fanfiction.net. As I edit chapters I shall post them here as well as in the original location.
> 
> When possible dialogue has been taken directly from the game- typically from the Gameboy Advance translation, though the SNES translation was consulted as well and used when I deemed it a better fit for the situation. Overall I tried to keep everything as close to the game as possible, from plot details to mechanics. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VI.

This was NOT what he had been hired to do. Shadow drifted away from his companions, to the far side of the room, trying his best to look distant and unconcerned. And succeeding wonderfully. He reached down to scratch Interceptor between the ears, tuning out the old man’s prattle in favor of his own thoughts, which at this point mostly consisted of how soon could they leave. Memories spun around inside his head, threatening to break his concentration, but he kept them at bay by plotting the quickest route out of this town, back to the boat.

That precious concentration was broken when a door on the other side of the room, the one that lead to a stairwell, opened up.

“Grandpa, who’re they? Are they friends? Can they use magic too?” the little girl said happily. Had anyone bothered to glance at Shadow, they would have seen his eyes widen ever so slightly. She was tiny and thin but seemed to be in good health. Her short red-blond hair fell messily over her face and she had a smear of paint on one cheek. She bounced over and inspected Locke and Terra, peering up into their faces with an appraising look, almost like she was sizing up an item at the Jidoor auction house before bidding.

“Sh-shush!” the old man frantically tried to quiet her. Jumping away as the old man grabbed at her, she happened to glance into the shadows that one assassin was trying so desperately to disappear into.

Her eyes lit up, “What a cute doggie!” Behind his mask, Shadow’s lips twitched. Interceptor, cute? He was sure she wouldn’t think so if she had seen the black dog tear out the throats of several monsters just this morning. But of course she hadn’t, and now she was coming closer, reaching her hand out for Interceptor to sniff.

“Back off. He bites,” he said in a last ditch effort to stop the girl from coming near. But Interceptor did not bite. Instead he sniffed the offered hand and wagged his tail as a tiny hand scratched under his chin.

Three pairs of eyes stared at the assassin in shock. Terra and Locke because they had never seen anyone besides Shadow touch Interceptor without being bitten and the old man, Strago, had likely not realized that the assassin was there. Shadow stared back indifferently. _The dog is strange, just like you lot, no need to make a scene of it._

With a sharp shake of his head Strago snapped himself out of the surprised stupor. He yelled at the girl, “Go back to your room!”

The girl looked up from petting Interceptor. “Why do I have to go to my room? You never let me have any fun,” she pouted. Stubborn.

“Because I said so! Now shoo!” Strago retaliated. By the tired look on his face, Shadow could tell disputes like this were common.

“. . . Fine,” she sighed. She patted Interceptor on the head before starting to trudge across the room. And damn it if that dog didn’t follow her! When she realized she had a companion, the girl giggled happily and darted up the stairs, Interceptor at her heels. Shadow could feel Locke and Terra’s incredulous stares. He steadfastly ignored them.

“Oh dear . . . Seems to have taken a liking to your dog,” Strago sighed. The girl must have heard him, because an audible, “Hmph,” came from above them.

“That child . . .” Strago shook his head, “my apologies.”

“It’s fine,” Shadow growled, “he usually doesn’t like other people though . . .” 'Doesn't like' didn't come close to covering the animosity Interceptor normally held towards members of the human race who were not himself . . .

Strago and the others began to speak again, but Shadow tuned it out. Instead he listened to what was going on above his head. The little girl was talking to Interceptor, showing him around her room. She showed him her paints and her brushes, and told him that once she mixed some black paint she would paint his picture, because he was such a handsome dog. Talking to him like she would a human, she asked him if he wanted to play a game. Shadow couldn’t help grimacing a little when Interceptor woofed in response. He heard her say, ‘Okay fetch it is,’ and then the telltale thump of a ball being thrown against the wall. Claws scrabbled on wood floor boards and Shadow assumed that Interceptor had retrieved the ball, because it thumped against the wall a second later.

“Thanks for your time,” Locke told Strago as he and Terra headed for the door.

“Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!” Strago replied, a relieved grin plastered on his face.

Liar. _Takes one to know one_. Seeing his companions finally leaving, Shadow turned to go as well.

“Interceptor!” he snapped. A moment later the big dog was at his side, panting happily. The little girl ran down the stairs, despite a cry of dismay from Strago, and over to them. She wrapped her arms around Interceptor in a tight hug, then scratched him once more under the chin.

“Bye-bye,” she said sadly. Stepping back, she looked up into Shadow’s eyes. And smiled at him.

“Can you bring Interceptor back again some time?” she said hopefully.

“Relm!” Strago yelled.

Shadow just stared at her. Stared at her for longer than he should have. She met his stare, looking right at the gap in his mask that showed his strange pale eyes and blue dyed skin, looking at him with her pretty hazel eyes. Pretty hazel eyes that showed not even a trace of fear.

“Relm!” Strago yelled again.

The sound dragged Shadow back to reality. He ripped his eyes away from the little girl and stalked after the swiftly retreating Locke and Terra. Interceptor hesitated at first, but at the snap of his boss’s fingers he ran to take his place beside the fleeing assassin.


	2. Contrary Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow knows better than anyone that sometimes it is easier not to care. Caring can get you stuck in a burning house surrounded by fire demons.

Interceptor’s cold nose wormed its way under the blankets to Shadow’s hand. He whined, first softly, then louder and louder. Taking his boss’s hand in his mouth, he bit down gently. The hand was yanked out of his grasp and a tired, “No,” came from under the sheets.

Shadow’s thoughts came slowly through a drowsy fog. Interceptor knew how to let himself out . . . Why did his head feel so fuzzy? _Poison, idiot._ That was right, he'd swallowed a double handful of the bitter herb mix kept in the pouch on his left hip, hoping that the artificially induced unconsciousness wouldn’t harbor nightmares. On that account, at least, he'd been correct. Though if the fog that clouded his thoughts was any indication the dosage had been more than a little off. Digging his head a little deeper into the pillow, he steadfastly ignored Interceptor’s increasingly urgent whines.          

A sudden pounding sound assaulted his ears. There was a crash, and a frantic voice sounded through his haze.

“You’ve gotta help!” _The stupid old crackpot?_ “Relm . . . she’s . . .!” Was he dreaming? _With any luck.  
_

“Something happened to Relm?” _Terra?_ Yes, that was her.

“Yes! She was on fire...and then it caught the neighbor's house on fire...and... Oh, I can't even think straight anymore, but...!” Definitely a dream. _Crackpot could be senile._                

“You have to help her!” Why would he want to do that?                

He heard the creaking of bedsprings and boots pounding on the wooden floor as their wearers made their way towards the door.               

“Shadow!” _Go away dream thief._ Silence. It seemed like the dream had stopped. Strange dream, normally if he did dream, it was nightmares. Must have been the poison. He reached his hand down to scratch Interceptor’s head. His hand met only air. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he looked over the side of the bed.               

“Interceptor . . . where did you go!?” He glanced at the other beds. Empty. Damn herbs. Fighting the fuzzy feeling in his skull, he got up, laced up his boots, and stuck his head out the door.                

The sight of the raging inferno that had been a house earlier that day did wonders for clearing his head. He could hear the flames roaring and the foundations creaking dangerously all the way from the inn! A group of townsfolk were gathered in front of the house, with Strago, Terra, and Locke not surprisingly in the middle. But where was Interceptor?                              

Strago stepped forward, out of the crowd. Shadow saw him fling his arms outward, casting a bright light towards the flames. More and more people joined him, until the entire town was casting those bright lights and chanting “Flames BEGONE!” He assumed they were casting spells, not they had any affect whatsoever on the blaze. Sticking to what darkness was left, Shadow crept closer. Maybe Interceptor was behind someone in the crowd.               

He heard Strago yelling, “It’s no use! The fire’s too strong!” _Sense from the crackpot._ Pulling himself up onto the roof of the inn, he scanned the crowd for a familiar black canine. He smirked when Strago rushed into the burning building, followed by Locke and Terra. _Fools._ Fools who were likely going to burn to death in the next several minutes. General Leo would not be pleased, though as long as someone found the espers and told the Empire Shadow would still get paid.                

Interceptor wasn’t in the crowd, Shadow established. Sometimes that damn dog's independent streak was more trouble than it was worth, he thought with a grimace before pursing his lips and let out an ear piercing whistle. The townspeople started at the unexpected noise and peered into the darkness curiously, but did not catch sight of the black-clad assassin. Shadow wasn’t paying any attention to them. All he could focus on was the howled response to his call, coming from inside the rapidly burning house.               

 _Stupid dog._ Too smart dog was more like it. Shadow started to run. At the edge of the rooftop he leapt, landing nimbly in the branches of the tree in the center of town. Swinging himself to the highest branch, he leapt again, over the heads of the oblivious towns people and landed on the burning roof. Moving quickly to keep the flames from scorching his clothing too badly, he ran along the roof's peak. The barking was getting louder, more frantic. _Where are you dog?_ He heard yells, human yells, from above. Looking up, he noticed the fire seemed to be burning much brighter through one of the upper windows. _Of course they would be in the attic_. He snarled behind his mask. With a powerful leap he sprang upwards, grabbing the windowsill where beyond the flames seemed the brightest. Boosting himself up quickly, he used his shoulder to smash the glass as he rolled in. He hit the floor in a fighter’s crouch and scanned the area.                              

A pack of fire demons separated Shadow from the other occupants of the room. Half of them turned his way; the others stayed intent on their targets. Interceptor was the only one standing. He straddled the young girl protectively, snarling and barking for all he was worth. Whenever a demon came close, he would mock charge it snarling and snapping, but because of the heat had to turn away before actually completing the attack. The others were all down, but breathing, as far as Shadow could tell. _Pity_. Indeed.               

When he saw Shadow, Interceptor stopped barking. When he was sure the dog's full attention was on him Shadow tapped the side of his throat with the first two fingers of his right hand. At the command the great black dog let loose with a short howl so loud it echoed through the inferno. The demons all turned, momentarily distracted by their foe’s new sound. But a moment was all Shadow needed. Blade in hand, he wove through the pack, dealing each and every one a fatal blow as he ran. There was no need to check for signs of life once he had run through the pack; Shadow knew he had killed them all. _Cocky._ Shadow knelt down beside his dog. The animal wagged his tail gratefully, then nosed the unconscious girl on the floor.                

A burning hunk of the roof crashed down not five feet from where they stood, throwing up a shower of embers that singed the fabric of Shadow's body suit and made Interceptor yelp when some landed on the sensitive skin of his nose and ears. “Time to get out of here!” Shadow growled. For the first time since entering the burning building he became conscious of the acrid taste of smoke that had slipped under his mask into his mouth and nose. There was a teleport gem in his right breast pocket: the tiny crystalline orb should have plenty of magic to get him and Interceptor out of here. Another section of the roof crashed down and Shadow lunged forward, grabbing Interceptor's scruff tight with his right hand while the left tore the teleport gem from his pocket.                

 _Teleport!_ Mouth opened, tongue at the back of his teeth ready to spit out the first sound of the word that would save his and Interceptor's lives.               

 _Teleport!_ He could not say the word. Shadow's teeth shut with a click that would have been audible if not for the raging inferno around him. His eyes flitted between the prostrate forms around him. Their clothing smoldered, their flesh blistered, and their chests continued to rise and fall.                

 _TELEPORT!_ Again he drew back his lips to speak. This time Interceptor cut off the potential word, when he flung himself, and Shadow, to the left to escape more of the collapsing house. The frantic movement sent Shadow to his knees. He narrowly missed landing on the girl's outstretched arm. The house groaned, its whole frame shuddering under the torment of the flames that had burned too long.                

 _TELEPORT, TELEPORT, TELEPORT! Do you want to burn to death?!_ The girl's ragged breathing was so faint he could barely make it out. But it was there. She would die here. 

_What does it matter?_

So would the others.               

 _So will you if you don't leave now!_                

The house shuddered like a dying thing and Shadow could feel the heat of the inferno raising blisters on his skin even beneath his clothing. They would die here, burned to death or crushed. Relm was only ten years old.               

 _They are nothing to you!_                

Shadow loosed his grip on Interceptor's scruff with a snarl and sprang through the heat hazed air till he was at Locke's side. With his free hand he grabbed the thief's arm and dragged his unconscious body several feet. When he was close enough Shadow placed Locke's arm so it rested across the old man's shoulders. It took only a few moments to do the same with Terra, but even that short time was too long. The house was collapsing in earnest now. The floor was crumbling, burning beams split and crashed down through the flames. There was no time! Shadow leapt the distance between him and Relm, scooping the little girl up in his arms before sprinting back to where he had placed the others. Interceptor followed and was smart enough to jam his head against Shadow's leg just as the assassin put a booted foot on the old man's back.               

"Teleport!" There was a flash of light, a sudden pop, a feeling of being squeezed through a too small hole, then-               

Shadow found himself standing in the grass behind the inn, with Interceptor's head on his hip and Relm still cradled in his arms. Placing her on the ground, he glanced over at the other three. They were still unconscious, but would recover quickly. The Relm though . . . her breathing was shallow and ragged, and her skin was much too pale, even with the heat blisters. _Smoke inhalation._ It made sense she was worse than the others, she had been in the building for twice as long.                

Before his conscious mind could catch up with his actions, Shadow pulled a potion from another pocket and tugged out the stopper. _What are you doing?_ Crouching down beside her, Shadow tilted Relm’s head back and poured some of the vile tasting liquid into her mouth. Hoping she would swallow it instinctively, he waited. To his surprise, she spluttered and sat up. She stared at him, looked around, then returned her eyes to his.               

“Wha-“she started to say.               

He shoved the vial into her hands, “Drink the rest of this.”                

“Why?”               

Standing up abruptly, he began to walk towards the crazily milling townspeople, “It’s a potion. Drink it and sleep.”               

Although she would have never normally followed orders without a fight, something in Shadow’s tone made her listen. Grimacing, she downed the rest of the potion. A cold nose touched the back of her neck prompting her to turn around and meet Interceptor’s relieved gaze. She threw her arms around his neck.                              

“You saved me didn’t you! What a good dog!” Interceptor’s tail thumped on the ground. Relm looked over her shoulder at the assassin who was now speaking with the mayor.               

“And he saved you. And me,” she caught sight of Strago and the other two people lying nearby, “And Grandpa. And those other people.” Stifling a yawn, she snuggled closer to the big black dog. She really was tired. And the man with the mask did tell her to sleep. She’d be able to thank him later.                

The girl was asleep when the townspeople got to them. Babbling thanks to the strange man who had saved Relm and the others, the mayor leaned down to pick up the girl while the rest of the town woke up Strago, Locke, and Terra. Interceptor’s ragged snarl stopped him in his tracks. Stepping back quickly, the mayor looked down at the furious canine, unwilling to risk losing a hand. He looked at the strange masked man, “Ah, does your dog bite?”               

Rather than answer, Shadow strode over and untangled Relm’s arms from around Interceptor’s neck. Lifting her up, he headed in the direction of the home she and Strago shared. The mayor followed, keeping his distance from Interceptor, babbling even more thanks to the silent man.                

The next morning Shadow found himself once again in the drawing room of Strago’s home. Gravitating towards the same corner as before, he hoped and prayed that Relm was still sleeping off the effects of last night’s adventure. Tragically, it was not to be. The little red head must have been eavesdropping on their conversation, because as soon as Strago mentioned coming with them, _oh gods no_ , she popped out from the behind the door.               

“I wanna go too!” To Shadow’s chagrin, Interceptor trotted over to her and, of all things, rolled on his back asking for a belly rub! _Some attack dog._ It appears he has a soft spot for her.               

“I think not, young lady!” Strago snapped.               

“Fuddy-duddy. . .” Relm grumbled. Ever grateful for his mask, Shadow allowed the left corner of his mouth to turn up in an amused smirk. What a perfect word for the old man. Relm rubbed Interceptor’s belly, then retreated to her room. Odd. She gave in much too easily. Plans were forming behind those hazel eyes, and Shadow was sure the old ‘fuddy-duddy’ would not be happy when those plans came to fruition.                

With a snap of his fingers he called Interceptor to his side. The old man had said something about the espers being in the mountains to the west. Now that he had a destination, he could get out of this god forsaken town and do things the way they should have been done from the start. His way. On his way to the door, he felt three sets of eyes staring at him. Turning around, he said, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I just wanted my dog back.”               

“You’re leaving?” Locke asked in disbelief. _The thief's mind is as weak as his stomach._                

“I’ll search for the espers my own way.” Noticing that Interceptor had moved away from him, closer to the door leading to the stairwell, he snapped his fingers again, “Interceptor!” The dog laid his ears back, but followed anyway. _Good riddance._ It was all Shadow could do to keep from breaking into a jog the moment he stepped outside. He wanted to get far away from this place as quickly as possible.               

“Hey! Hey you!” he heard a shrill voice yell behind him. Spinning around, he followed the sound and beheld Relm poking her head out a window on the second floor.               

“What’s your name?”                             

Something about the girl must be causing the strange contrary actions that happened faster than thought, almost as if driven by instinct, though like no instinct he had felt in- _years?_ **Ever**. Before any logical ideas to the contrary could pass his mind, the assassin growled the answer up to the expectant child.                

"Shadow."                

She cocked her head curiously. “That’s a funny name,” she said finally. Snorting, Shadow turned around and continued on his way.               

“Thank you Shadow!” she yelled after him.                

Shaking his head, he muttered softly into the fabric of his mask, “You’re welcome girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll explain any alterations I've made to mechanics or canon at the end of chapters they occur in, as well as interpretations of the same. In this case, teleport gems. In order for multiple people to be transported by a teleport gem they all must be physically touching.


End file.
